Research Briefing Archives

Research Briefing

Key Issues for the 2015 Parliament

Tuesday, 19 May, 2015

This book examines the key issues facing the House of Commons over the course of the 2015 Parliament - from the public finances to the UK’s membership of the EU and from school places for children to climate change.
Research Briefing

Parliamentary Questions: recent issues: House of Commons Background Paper

Monday, 18 May, 2015

The system of Parliamentary Questions in the House of Commons. Background material, developments and issues studied over the last ten years.
Research Briefing

Queen’s Speech debate: selection of amendments – Standing Order No 33

Monday, 18 May, 2015

The debate on the Queen's Speech is on motion for an Humble Address thanking Her Majesty for the Gracious Address. Under Standing Order No 33, the Speaker can select up to four amendments to the motion.
- Research Briefing
- Parliament
Research Briefing

Regulating the web: The open internet and net neutrality

Monday, 18 May, 2015

Net neutrality is the concept that all information and services should have equal and open access online without regard to content, destination or source. Both net neutrality—and the associated concept of the ‘open internet’—are considered to be founding principles of the World Wide Web. Concerns that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are looking to circumvent net neutrality principles—deciding how fast data will be transmitted and at what quality—have led to campaigns to explicitly legislate for net neutrality. Without net neutrality campaigners fear a two-tiered service with fast and slow lanes could develop. In the past few years, the EU and other countries have attempted to explicitly legislate to ensure Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate in a net neutral fashion.
Research Briefing

UK relations with Hong Kong: May 2015 update

Friday, 15 May, 2015

This briefing surveys developments in Hong Kong since August 2014 and the UK's response. The Hong Kong Government is seeking approval for its proposals to elect the Chief Executive by universal suffrage in 2017. Critics argue that they are a sham.
Research Briefing

Transport 2015

Thursday, 14 May, 2015

This paper provides an overview of the transport commitments given by the main political parties in the run up to the 2015 General Election; a broad summary of transport trends over the course of the 2010 Parliament; and looks at some of the possible transport ‘hot spots’ post-2015, specifically devolution; local bus services; cycling provision; rail franchising; and airport expansion.
Research Briefing

Community budgets and city deals

Thursday, 14 May, 2015

This note outlines community budget initiatives - local agreements to pool strategic planning and budgets between public bodies in a given area. It also discusses City Deals, negotiated between large city councils and the Government.
Research Briefing

Local government devolution: policy proposals

Thursday, 14 May, 2015

This note summarises proposals for devolution of powers to local authorities made in a number of reports during 2014 and 2015.
Research Briefing

Constituency casework: Social security

Thursday, 14 May, 2015

This is an archived Commons Library briefing on constituency casework: social security, from 2015.
Research Briefing

PFI: costs and benefits

Wednesday, 13 May, 2015

The use of PFI contracts is controversial. This note considers the arguments for the costs and benefits of PFI, as well as looking at changes to PFI under the coalition government.
- Research Briefing
- Public spending
Research Briefing

Freedom of information and the Royal Family

Wednesday, 13 May, 2015

This Note outlines exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act relating to the Royal Family.
Research Briefing

Pub companies, pub tenants & pub closures: introducing statutory regulation (2014-15)

Wednesday, 13 May, 2015

This note examines the passage of the Coalition Government’s legislation to establish a new system of regulation for the pubs sector. A second Library note discusses the historical background to this initiative (SN6740).
- Research Briefing
- Business
Research Briefing

Pub companies, pub tenants & pub closures: background history (up to 2014)

Wednesday, 13 May, 2015

This note looks at the slow progress towards a statutory system of regulation of the pub company - tenant relationship. A second Library note discusses recent developments in this area (SN7074).
- Research Briefing
- Business
Research Briefing

Unemployment by constituency, May 2015

Wednesday, 13 May, 2015

This paper contains labour market figures for parliamentary constituencies, as well as a summary of the latest national and regional statistics.
Research Briefing

Economic Indicators, May 2015

Tuesday, 12 May, 2015

Analysis of the latest key UK and international economic indicators.

Total results (page 360 of 642)